The members resigned on the grounds of political interference with the legal system
Two government-appointed members of the Alberta Law Foundation board have resigned in protest of Bill 39, which according to access to justice advocates weakens Alberta’s justice system and support for vulnerable residents.
The board members who stepped down cited political interference and the undermining of independence due to the proposed legal system changes outlined in the bill. Introduced in the spring, the bill is currently in second reading in the legislature – according to the Alberta Law Foundation, it progresses without consultation.
Bill 39 includes the following provisions:
The legislation has sparked calls for reconsideration from Albertan legal leaders; the Alberta Law Foundation said that it had “repeatedly” tried to initiate collaboration with the minister on “a more sustainable, balanced solution.”
“Bill 39 threatens the stability of Indigenous-led legal services across Alberta. By diverting community-based funding and introducing political oversight, the legislation puts culturally grounded, community-driven programs at risk,” Indigenous Bar Association President Drew Lafond said in a statement. “These services are essential for addressing systemic barriers and advancing justice for indigenous peoples. This bill poses a significant threat to this work and a setback to reconciliation.”
According to the Alberta Law Foundation, while the government issued assurances that Bill 39 would not affect funding for community-based organizations, the minister already shot down or reduced almost $10 million in board-approved grant funding to 14 non-profit organizations in Alberta – including legal clinics, Indigenous justice initiatives, and programs supporting vulnerable youth, survivors of violence, and rural and remote populations.
Notably, Bill 389 has resulted in the halting of the foundation’s pre-approved, $100 million commitment to the construction and endowment of a new Indigenous Law Institute based out of the University of Alberta.
“This is not a budgeting adjustment, it’s a structural change to how and whether community legal groups get funding from the foundation, whose revenue comes from interest on lawyers trust accounts, not government revenue,” said Paul G. Chiswell, Alberta Law Foundation board chair, in a statement. “This bill inserts an additional level of political involvement and veto—with the associated uncertainty and red tape—into community granting decisions that have for over 50 years been made by an independent and non-partisan board of Albertans on the basis of professional standards and demonstrated community need.”
Official Opposition members have backed the foundation, as have other sector stakeholders.
“This bill puts community legal services at risk at the exact moment when more Albertans need help. When economic conditions worsen, we see increased demand for support in areas like family breakdown, domestic violence, and housing instability. These are the clients we serve every day, and this legislation makes it harder for us to meet that rising need,” said Kathy Parsons, executive director of the Community Legal Clinic – Central Alberta, speaking also on behalf of the Edmonton Community Legal Centre.
